What are the most common pelvic floor issues?
Pain and bladder leaks are the most common pelvic floor issues in women. In fact, 1 in 3 women will develop some form of incontinence (leaking) in their lifetime.
But, just because these issues are common, does not mean they are normal. Many women accept that they will experience pain and leaks for the rest of their lives. They may not realise that there are actually many ways to overcome these issues and live a pain-free, leak-free life!
At Thrive Physiotherapy, we aim to empower women with the knowledge and tools they need to overcome pelvic floor issues. Read on to find out more about where to start…
Why do I leak?
Many women who visit our Physiotherapy clinics in Sheffield ask the same question; “Why do I leak?”. They may find their bladder leaks when they sneeze, laugh or cough, run, jump or even walk.
Often, these women have felt too ashamed to speak to a professional to find out why they leak. Or, they may have visited their GP and be told, “Pelvic floor issues are normal” or “you’ve had a baby, what did you expect?”.
This simply isn’t true. With a combination of breathing, strength training and proper pelvic floor exercises, you can overcome leaking. At Thrive, we don’t actually believe a ‘weak’ pelvic floor exists. In fact, women simply need the right knowledge and support to ensure they are using their pelvic floor in an optimal way. It’s also important to understand that strengthening your pelvic floor involves other aspects of movement, such as your posture and breathing.
Pelvic floor exercises are a brilliant place to start if you’re keen to strengthen your muscle. But, if you find you’re still experiencing issues, or if you’re unsure how about to do your pelvic floor exercises correctly, it’s worth speaking to a professional.
What about pain?
Pain is also one of the most common pelvic floor issues in women of all ages. When we refer to pain, we tend to mean pain in the back, breasts, stomach and pelvic area. Women’s pain is routinely dismissed or underestimated by doctors, meaning you might put up with pain for far longer.
In the same way that there is no smoke without fire, there’s usually no pain without a cause!
The first step to overcoming pain is to understand exactly where the pain is, and what’s causing this. If you’re not able to pinpoint the source of your pain, that’s ok. This is where a professional can help. For example, a women’s health Physiotherapist or a Gynaecologist.
Sometimes pain can be caused by something as simple as wearing the wrong bra size! Other times, the cause may go deeper or be more serious. But either way, it’s worth seeing a professional – ideally a women’s health specialist – to help you understand and overcome your pain.
How can Physiotherapy help?
Physiotherapy can be transformational in helping you overcome pelvic floor issues.
The pelvic floor muscle plays a huge role in how women move. It absorbs shock, keeps us upright and even helps us breathe! We use it every time we move.
With this knowledge, a Physiotherapist can help you regain control of your body. They’ll help you understand how your pelvic floor and your body work with each other and identify the cause of your pain, so they can treat it effectively and you can get back to moving fearlessly once more.
When choosing a Physiotherapist, it’s worth looking for someone who specialises in women’s health and pelvic floor issues. Sadly, many GPs and general Physiotherapists may not have the specialist knowledge of pelvic health to provide adequate support.
Owner and founder of Thrive Physiotherapy for women, Roisin O’Bentley, explains;
“As a physiotherapist, you go through years of training about every muscle in the human body, where they attach, how they move, how to treat and strengthen them to stop or prevent pain…. But never did I learn about the pelvic floor.
Pelvic health physiotherapy – we were told as students and newly qualified physios – is a mystical, specialist area. You’ll need years of experience to work in the area, but you can’t work in the area without experience. Catch 22!
This is why I retrained to specialise in women’s health Physiotherapy, specifically. We need more experts in this field to help women overcome common issues that should be understood, and treated, more widely.”
Thrive Physiotherapy for women in Sheffield
Thrive Physiotherapy for women in Sheffield offers a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment.
At your first appointment Thrive Physiotherapy, we will take time to understand and explore your symptoms and how they are impacting your life. We will then do a physical assessment to see how you move. You’ll also begin to understand how your muscles work together.
We’ll never offer a vaginal examination on your first assessment. Instead, we’ll take a holistic view to how your pelvic floor is working with the rest of your body and what other structures may be impacting your pelvic strength.
If, at a future appointment, we believe that a vaginal examination would be helpful to further assess your pelvic floor and optimise your treatment, we will discuss this with you; and the decision will always be yours.
Whether you’d like to talk to us about your symptoms, you’re looking for advice, or want to talk through how we can help you, then get in touch!